Horse-code violations
Carolina Polo and Carriage pleads guilty, is fined nearly $1,800
By Allyson Bird
The post and Courier
Carolina Polo and Carriage Co. Manager Robert Knoth apologized in court Wednesday, saying, 'Unfortunately, we have neglected to satisfy some of the newest regulations' in the Charleston horse carriage industry.
Representatives for horse-drawn tour operator Carolina Polo and Carriage Co. pleaded guilty in city court Wednesday to four code violations related to the way the company maintains its horses and stables.
Municipal Judge Michael Molony assessed nearly $1,800 in fines, including the maximum $1,092 penalty for feeding practices alone. Molony suspended portions of the fines related to harnesses and stalls and suspended for a year the entire fine related to record-keeping.
He also asked, but did not order, that Carolina Polo provide free tours to standout students at James Simons Elementary School downtown.
The courtroom players were familiar with each other. Carolina Polo attorney Capers Barr, a former county solicitor, mentioned that city of Charleston Attorney Ravi Sanyal previously worked as an assistant
solicitor, while Molony alluded to Barr's fondness for the city (Barr served as chairman of Mayor Joe Riley's campaign committee) and referred to Carolina Polo Manager Robert Knoth as "Bobby."
Speaking to Barr, Molony said, "Like you, I've known Bobby all my life, but I have to put on a black robe and deal with this."
City officials deferred two additional violations related to reflectors on the carriages and microchips on the animals, both of which the company corrected.
Officials dropped an additional five violations assessed after the company did not meet the initial deadlines to change its operation.
Previous stories
Tour operator wants jury trial, published 07/14/09
City strives for horse sense, published 08/09/09
Perhaps the greater test lies ahead: Because Carolina Polo pleaded guilty to four violations, city officials could suspend its operations for 180 days, the longest time allowed by city regulations.
When Molony asked Office of Tourism Management Director Vanessa Turner-Maybank if she anticipated another proceeding to address a possible suspension, she said, "We intend to enforce the franchise agreement."
City officials did not provide a time frame for that proceeding after court.
In the interim, Carolina Polo must bring in its veterinarian to follow up on each of the six tickets within the next 30 days and issue a report to the city.
The citations stem from an inspection of all five carriage tour operators in Charleston, the first comprehensive report since the city updated its ordinance in 2007. Barr suggested that his client seemed singled out because, though all five companies received violations, the city pursued only Carolina Polo's case.
The Post and Courier
Charleston City Tourism Manager Danielle Dillahey (from left), veterinarian Amy Hayek, Director of the Office of Tourism Management Vanessa Turner-Maybank and City of Charleston Attorney Ravi Sanyal were in Municipal Court Wednesday for the trial of Carolina Polo and Carriage Co.
After trial, Sanyal said Carolina Polo received greater scrutiny because it received far more citations than any other company.
City officials brought the veterinarian who performed the inspection, Amy Hayek, onto the witness stand to explain the violations, while Carolina Polo called its own veterinarian, John Malark, to dispute and answer certain points. The trial took more than two hours.
Hayek told the court about incomplete medical records and others with date changes.
"This particular company had no record of the disposal of any of their animals that they had euthanized or that had died," she said.
Malark said a few horses died during the time, and he blamed his own corrections for the perceived "alterations" to existing records.
Hayek said "all of the floor inside each stall was wet, and there did not appear to be any bedding," and city tourism manager Danielle Dillahey said the stalls did not meet city regulation size.
Barr described the Knoth family going into its barn on Hayne Street in the old City Market with hammers and nails to convert eight stalls into six more spacious ones. He also said the company equipped each stall with salt for the horses and that it purchased new harnesses to replace a few that had been patched together.
Offering a statement to the court, Knoth remembered when tourism season meant that short spring window "when Northerners would come down and see the azaleas bloom." He said now that seasons lasts all year and drives the local economy.
"Unfortunately, we have neglected to satisfy some of the newest regulations," he said. "And I apologize for the failure."
Reach Allyson Bird at abird@postandcourier.com or 937-5594.<
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Comments
theronce (anonymous) says...
Other thana a judge finding them guilty of some charges, I don't know about any of the details. I would guess that some charges are more serious than others, some needing a slap on the wrist and some needing more...I don't know. Since I don't know about this business and horses, I zeroed in on the fact that the government arbitrarily for their own whimsical reasons to pursue only one company with violations. This highlights one of my problems with government when it can selectively harass one citizen and let off another. After passing new laws or regulations, I think that very shortly after that then a courtesy inspection should be made to make sure everyone understans and is on the same page. Then, bust all violators in later inspections.
August 20, 2009 at 7:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
Cost of doing busness darling.
That is the lesson the judges need to take to heart.
August 20, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
oldglory (anonymous) says...
"Municipal Judge Michael Molony assessed nearly $1,800 in fines, including the maximum $1,092 penalty for feeding practices alone."
'"Unfortunately, we have neglected to satisfy some of the newest regulations," he [Bobby boy] said. "And I apologize for the failure."'
Dear me, feeding practices. Feeding these animals was a new regulation?
August 20, 2009 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeg111 (anonymous) says...
Seems as if the Judge put the carriage company in harms way by asking them to take kids from an elementary school on a tour. Hope nothing happens to one of the kids while on the tour...it will be the end of this company.
August 20, 2009 at 8:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mytwocents (anonymous) says...
I'm glad Carolina Polo got singled out. They had the MOST violations. They had SIX violations and FIVE more for not meeting deadlines for improvements. And then good ol' Bobby only gets an $1800 fine?? Those carriage animals only hope is that city officials take this seriously and close Polo down for 180 days. Now THAT would make Carolina Polo take things a bit more seriously.....and I believe the other carriage companies would also sit up and take notice.
August 20, 2009 at 9:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clearheaded (anonymous) says...
Jeg, The concern is not so much for the kids...it's for the horses at this particular company. They work them hard, don't feed them well, don't give them turnout time or clean stalls, and leave them to die in the country when they get sick. Read about some of it here: http://davidfarrow.wordpress.com/2009...
August 20, 2009 at 9:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
katrenavantassle (anonymous) says...
I personally walked downtown and saw one of the carriage horses stalls. I am a horse lover and my heart ached for the poor horses.
They need to be free from this torture and let loose on 20 acres to run and play.
What kind of society lets this type of animal cruelty go without doing anything!!?
Let the tourists take a cab or do like I do and WALK!!!!
August 20, 2009 at 9:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
joey41 (anonymous) says...
Why would a carriage company mistreat their horses? The horses are the reason that the company exists. The draft horses are bread and put on this planet to work. That is their sole purpose. If they didn't do work they would literally die of boredom. Over the history of the world horses have always been beats of burden, work is nothing new to these creatures, and it is not cruel by any stretch of the imagination. The new stalls at Carolina Polo are well beyond city regulations and the horses have always been fed well. For whatever reason someone in the tourism commission has a vendetta against the Knoth's and they are in fact being singled out, as Cappers Barr suggested. Closing the company for 180 days would be mean the end of the company, a figurative death sentence, it would also put several hard working people out of a job.
August 20, 2009 at 10:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
withrockb (anonymous) says...
Katrena,
How about you buy 20 acres and you can rescue, house, and feed all the horses you want? You could also be responsible for the vet bills and the farriers bills. You people need to get over yourselves. So many people bitch and moan about the treatment of animals but are never willing to get involved with the care and shelter of them.
August 20, 2009 at 10:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasHighgrad68 (anonymous) says...
Horsemeat is tasty. In fact I like it better than beef!
August 20, 2009 at 10:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clearheaded (anonymous) says...
Joey asks, "Why would a carriage company mistreat its animals?" Because it is cheaper to work a horse hard, not take care of it, and then buy a new one. New drafts are about $1,700. It is more costly to treat the animals well: quality feed, pasture time, rotation of animals during high heat, stalls they can turn around in, and, ultimately, a retirement home. I don't imagine that Carolina Polo can tell us where their retired animals are. Concerning their claim that they were "singled out:" it is not fair to the other companies who take good care of their animals (which is costly) that some operators are allowed to do it the cheap way. Animal cruelty concerns aside, it is only fair that those not following the minimum standards for basic care and record keeping be "singled out."
August 20, 2009 at 10:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
Hey Joey41, do you work for POLO?
Horses are beasts of burden, but that doesn't mean they do not need to eat.
It is the oldest story in business. USE the least resources to MAXIMIZE return then discard the rest. They are amoral. The difference is these a living animals and Polo got caught. They will do it again.
August 20, 2009 at 11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ColdBud (anonymous) says...
I wish the City of Charleston spent as much time, effort and money trying to make the streets safe for people as they do trying to make them safe for horses...
August 20, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
joey41 (anonymous) says...
I do, and I will tell you that the employees of Carolina Polo and Carriage Company do everything that we can to ensure that our horses are treated in the proper manner. That includes rotating the horses to the city's code, which is 2 weeks off for every 4 months worth of work, feeding the horses the highest quality of feed the Cleveland Feed company has on the market and alfalfa hay. Each horse also gets 3 days off every week and the horses temperatures are monitored before and after every tour and the horses get hosed down after each tour.
August 20, 2009 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
CharlestonTimes (anonymous) says...
It would be ridiculous and monumentally unfair for the employees to suffer a 180-day suspension.
if any good comes out of this, it would simply be that now the animals are being well taken care of.
There are a lot of things in the undertow of this story that are being overlooked. Polo was investigated more thoroughly because they had the most infractions.
It wouldn't have happened if the media spotlight hadn't glared down.
If you read the story carefully, much of the actual punishment was suspended.
Fine.
my attitude is "go and sin no more.'
August 20, 2009 at 11:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
vmirat90 (anonymous) says...
sounds like someone's try to protect a paycheck....
August 20, 2009 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
annemarie (anonymous) says...
The carriage owners should not mistreat these sweet animals! Where is any integrity, or compassion?
August 20, 2009 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clearheaded (anonymous) says...
Good point about how it wouldn't have happened if the media spotlight hadn't glared down -- not that anything really has happened yet. It's up to the city now to show that they care about these animals more than about politics.
Why has the city taken so long to enforce basic shelter and care ordinances? And don't they do a background check on their operators? I guess it should be expected that someone who went to jail for fraud might have fraudulent records, or, in this case, none of the required records on deaths/disposals.
Where is the transparency in how the city is monitoring its operators?
August 20, 2009 at 2:03 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasHighgrad68 (anonymous) says...
Where were you people 20 years ago when I gave tours?
August 20, 2009 at 2:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nextexodus (anonymous) says...
Joey41,
What is your name? I am Nancy Lane. When did you start feeding Alfalfa hay? The inspection said you had 3 ½ bales of old coastal hay at the barn and that was to last 8 horses 4days. That isn’t enough hay for 1 horse in 4 days. The feed store where you buy your poor quality Cleveland feed from doesn’t carry Alfalfa hay. Cleveland feed isn’t a high quality feed so even if you are feeding their best, it’s not that good. Your feed costs $10 a bag.
Where is Montague right now? The roan that has the bones in his legs rotating (foundering). How much medicine do you give him a day just to keep him walking? When was the last time Winston had a break? He never came to my farm and he hasn’t been to the Tuten’s. Where are Moultrie, Drayton, Beauregard, Joker and Samson?
If you are one of the good, honest employees who are just fooled by the Knoth spin, don’t worry. The other carriage companies will hire you in a heartbeat. If you are one of the ones who partake in the abuse, God help you.
August 20, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
YankeeLady (anonymous) says...
I have multiple photos of carriage horses with their ribs showing, and sores from where tack has been rubbing. I hope that this legal action is the beginning of the complete end for the carriage horse trade. These animals may have been bred for work, but not for cruelty, and NOT to be killed for food.
August 20, 2009 at 3:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ChasHighgrad68 (anonymous) says...
I say slaughter them all and let's have a big ass barbeque!
August 20, 2009 at 6:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
scottmcx (anonymous) says...
YUMMMMMMYYYYY!!!!
August 20, 2009 at 6:32 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clearheaded (anonymous) says...
I am not sure whether saying that these big horses are "bred to work" is a valid argument. Isn't that like saying that gamecocks or pitbulls are bred to fight? It doesn’t necessarily follow that we should condone the fighting. I'm not saying they should not work at all, just want to point out the fallacy of that argument. It certainly does not justify why the horse should spend its days working almost exclusively in an unnatural environment and not able to live the normal life of a herbivore. We should support the carriage companies that assure us that they are achieving a balance.
August 20, 2009 at 6:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mkris (anonymous) says...
Look folks, nothing wrong with making a profit. Just don't exploit the animals. Good feed, sufficent rest and clean stalls and water. simple. Its greed pure and simple with POLO. They are doing what every greedy business and miserly owner does: minimizing expenses to increase profit. No empathy for gods' great creatures.
August 20, 2009 at 7:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sardis12 (anonymous) says...
They may rotate the horses, but do these horses ever get taken somewhere to run around and enjoy life for a few days, or do they spend their days off miserable in an indoor stall?
August 20, 2009 at 7:39 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
wonderdog (anonymous) says...
you nailed it, mkris.
August 20, 2009 at 9:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
carriagedriver88 (anonymous) says...
I see the good ole boy network going full steanm ahead on this one!! The King's court has slapped the jester on the hand!! When will we see this for what it is?! Knoth needs to be gone for good...but it won't happen.
August 22, 2009 at 5:47 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Clearheaded (anonymous) says...
Maybe King Joe needs to be gone...this whole situation has caused me to regret my vote. I believe he told PETA that "We will continue to maintain great standards and serve as the model for the care and respect for horses and the carriage industry." He said that the horse carriage industry in Charleston has been "vigilantly" managed for 25 years. You would think that he would check his facts before writing that.
It took 3 years to develop regulations. Two years after that, the city had never done an inspection -- that hardly seems like "vigilant" management or the way to "maintain great standards." In the mean time, there were many undocumented and mysterious deaths at the Knoth barn.
Was he unaware that the city had not checked for compliance? Or was he scared what might be found (or not found) at his buddy Bobby's barn? Regardless, this is a smarmy, sad story, and those involved need to be held accountable for their actions.
August 22, 2009 at 9:23 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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